Reichert is Either an Idiot or a Liar

Congressmen Reichert can’t have it both ways. After getting blasted by bloggers, Equal Rights Washington, and his opponent Susan DelBene, Reichert issued the following statement in an attempt to back peddle from his clearly inexcusable no vote on an Amendment that could lead to the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“Let me be clear: I am not suggesting homosexuals should not be able to serve openly in the military. One of the greatest duties of this Congress is to protect the freedoms and liberties of all Americans. I hope we can all agree that it is unjust to deny people the right to pursue the American Dream and realize success and opportunity in the workplace. That’s why I’ve supported legislation such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. However, I believe policy decisions affecting the military must reflect the input, perspectives, and judgment of the generals in command, and a decision on this issue must be entrusted to them. We must continue to support the men and women who are risking their lives each and every day and ensure that they have the best training and equipment available to carry out their duties.”

The first sign that someone is full of it when they are talking about equal rights for gays and lesbians, is when they use the word “homosexual.” “Homosexual” is a word that is exclusively used by our opponents because 1) it sounds like gays and lesbians are disordered, and 2) every poll that uses the word “homosexual” instead of “gay” or “lesbian” shows less support for our community. It is a terrible word choice and a huge red flag that the person using it is not a friend. “Homosexual” is such a bad word choice, that no respected news organization uses it when reporting about gays or lesbians.

Secondly and most importantly, Reichert’s statement indicated he wanted the decision to allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military to be up to the “generals in command.” Reichert should know full well he’s full of it. The compromised amendment that Congress voted on last week only repeals “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” following an ongoing “working group” by the Pentagon. Then the repeal must be signed off by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the President, and the Secretary of State. Then, even after those hurdles are met, a 60 day review period goes into effect, when Congress could opt to reverse it’s decision to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Reichert is either an idot or a liar. He either didn’t understand what the Amendment was about, or he thinks gay people should not be treated equally under the law and he’s trying to cover for it.

Either way, Reichert is showing his true colors and must lose his seat in Congress this election. He does not represent the values of his district or the state of Washington.